UPDATE: WINNERS!
We had 309 comments entered by midnight MST of 04/13 (Sunday Night). All comments were pasted into a worksheet and assigned a number. Then, I used the website Random.org to pull 5 random numbers. And the winners are…:

Lance Lloyd

Jim

Will Bohrnsen

Doug Kinney

Daniel Paladino

We will be contacting you guys shortly via email!

THANK YOU ALL OF OUR READERS FOR THE WONDERFUL COMMENTS YOU TOOK THE TIME TO ENTER HERE!!!
We are super proud to have touched so many lives and hear from you about what tenkara has meant to you over the last 5 years. We will always make it right by you by continuing to provide great customer service, useful information, entertaining stories, and excellent products. .

Today marks our 5th anniversary! On April 12th, 2009 we officially launched our site and started the journey of introducing a simpler fly-fishing method outside of Japan.
It has been a tremendous experience. I had a vision that, in a way, went counter to everything the established industry was doing. But I believed that people would gravitate towards the simplicity and effectiveness of tenkara. Hitting the 5-year mark tells me people indeed wanted it simpler.
There is tons I could write about the journey we have gone through, the challenges, the victories, the phases of introducing tenkara here. But, let me keep this short.
We would like to celebrate these last 5 years by giving away 5 tenkara sets this weekend with the tenkara rod of your choice.
To have a chance of winning, simply enter a comment here in our blog about your tenkara experience, or what you feel the introduction of tenkara has meant to the world of fly-fishing or anything you’d like to say really. We will pull 5 random winners tomorrow at midnight MST (04/13 11:59pm/12am). Make sure to enter your email address when you enter a comment.
Thank you very much for your support over the last 5 years and for helping us spread the word on tenkara.

Daniel W. Galhardo
Tenkara USA, founder

Facebook Comments

323 Responses to 5 years Tenkara Giveaway

I have been using my Yamame rod for a couple of years now . It’s awesome way to fish. I used last weekend fishing a lake in Az. and caught 7 trout on it. They were feeding on top what a blast. I keep my rod in my truck that way I am always ready. Keep up the good work!!

My wife and I attended the first Tenara Summit in West Yellowstone, postponing our 21st Anniversary dinner at the Yellowstone Lake Lodge by one day. Dr. Ishikagi’s speaking of the simplicity of Tenkara and how it can bring families together brought Debbie to tears, and she followed up by purchasing her own Tenkara outfit. We now enjoy the rivers of the west while catching trout together.

I started Tenkara fishing last year and haven’t picked up a western fly rod since. I love that Tenkara rods are light weight and easy to cast. My 7 year old son didn’t even want to try a western fly rod after catching his first fish on a Tenkara rod. Thanks for the great products and making my trips to the river with my family more enjoyable.

I’ve been fishing tenkara style for a little over 2 years now. It’s helped fly fishing become an obsession over that time. I even moved to Colorado from Georgia to be able to pursue my love of the outdoors. Right now I’m heading out fishing with my girlfriend who I’m teaching to fish using tenkara.

Tenkara has been a huge blessing to me. It has givin me confidence in myself and my abilities. It has been a reconnect with nature where i get to be very interactive with the rivers I love. It was TUSAs that got me into this passion and joy. Thank you for all you guys do for the fishing community!

Ive been interested in Tenkara and would like to give it a try. I think it would work beautifully on some of my small, local streams here in Alaska. I think it would be the perfect method for catching Arctic Grayling.

I had almost given up on fly fishing due to arthritis. But then I stumbled on your website by accident or was it fate. The light weight and simplicity of the tenkara system has changed my life by renewing my love for fishing. I learned a long time ago that if you make something too complicated it will take all of the pleasure out of it. Thank you for introducing this form of a simpler way to fish to me. Just remember the old saying ” SIMPLE IS SOPHISTICATED”

Last summer I went to a stream and realized, that nobody had caught anything in two days . There were quite a few fly fishers with their rods and reels and they didn’t get anything while I managed to catch a beautiful brown trout with my Tenkara.

I am not a fishing person by nature, but was along for the ride with Daniel and friends at Tangle Lakes, Alaska. Daniel handed me a rod and gave me a 20-second tutorial, and I was obsessed for the next several hours. Caught and released my first fish on a fly rod, but what really entranced me was the lightness and balance, and the lovely sound the rod and line made as they swished through the air. Thanks Tenkara USA for a transcendent experience. My goal for the coming summer is to learn to love and understand fishing.

A friend of mine is regular fly fisherman (with reel and everything) until now I’ve been going very often to spinning with lures but I always wanted to go fishing with flies but with a simple gear. In the last month I came over Tenkara style and even now I’m very fascinated about it. Based on the documentation found on the internet I manged a few days ago to order one Tenkara rod. I haven’t got it yet so my experience with this style is zero but I’m planning to change that soon

What do I do with the 5 fly rods that I have not used since I got my first Tenkara rod three years ago? I have yet to convert any of my fishing buddies over to Tenkara as I outfish them time after time. Keep telling them it’s what the rod lets me do that they cant do. Still fish western flies ever now and then I use a Tenkara fly. Good going to make it to 5 years in business.

Aloha,
I live in Kauai and love to be up in the mountain streams in the summer to get away from the heat! I borrowed a friends Tenkara and had just a great time catching trout ! Yes, we do have trout in Kauai!
I would love to have my own Tenkara for this summer!
Mahalo!

It takes me back to why I enjoyed fishing with my dad and now watching my son fish. It’s special to just be out and spend the time together. Life goes by too fast. When I’m on the water, then it’s just time spent having fun. Thanks Tenkara for giving me another diversion and a rod that fits in my pack.

Love Love Love Tenkara fishing. Simple and effective especially for this old Geezer. Congratulations on 5 years in the business. Just checked I have 7 of your rods so another one would be really useful!!

Being constantly on the road I come across fantastic fishing holes but don’t always have a rod with me. I have considered purchasing a tenkara rod for a while now. If I don’t win one I’m sure I’ll still buy one. Thank you TenkaraUsa for your vision and fortitude in brining this style to light.

My first use of tenkara was on a high traffic river with spooky fish in northern Michigan. Beautiful stretch, but never had much success. I caught 22 fish in less than two hours…still the most epic volume I’ve ever had. The presentation is the difference…very critical with more selective fish in clear waters. Yamame and Amago have been all I’ve needed for all species I normally encounter. Fan for life, and sing it’s praises to everyone I know!

I discovered Tenkara 3 years ago while living in Boulder, CO. I had tried getting into fly fishing the year before with a western setup but jut wasn’t getting the technique. I had reached out for help to the western fly fishing community but everyone seemed to be above introducing a younger person to the sport and since I couldn’t afford lessons I was on my own. I came across Tenkara the next spring by stumbling over an article on the internet; it sounded perfect and I ordered a rod that day. It took me a few weeks to get the hang of fishing a fly but I finally figured it out and fell in love with it. The Tenkara resources and advice provided by other Tenkara anglers in my area was stunning to me. Everyone seemed eager to welcome a new person to the sport and answer questions I had…the opposite of what I encountered from the western fisher folk. I took a free clinic that summer that Daniel of TenkaraUSA put on in Boulder where I got to meet him and receive pointers and feedback on technique. He spent his whole day giving free one on one lessons essentially to everyone who attended and my technique greatly improved because of Tenkara USA’s passion and dedication to teaching and sharing Tenkara. Tenkara is now the only way I enjoy fishing small mountain streams and I can’t imagine ever putting the rod down and moving past the “fad”. I’ve since started western fly fishing for saltwater species and salmon and steelhead here in WA state but it is only because of Tenkara that I was able to succeed at western casting. I now can enjoy fishing any species, any where I’d like with either Tenkara or western methods all because of Tenkara USA! Thanks Daniel and everyone else at TUSA!

Just over 18 years ago, I was in a very bad place in the world. I was a meth addict. I was watching friends and acquaintances die or go to jail on what seemed to be a daily basis. But god was looking out for me, I was spared and given a second chance, I didn’t take this chance lightly. But I struggled and had several lapses over the next few years, then a friend asked if I wanted to go fishing. I agrreed, not really knowing anything about fishing. Turns out Brad was a fly fisherman. He put a rod in my hand, showed me the basics of a roll cast and high stick nymphing, about 4 hours later I hooked into a small brook trout. I was hooked. I have not touched an illicit drug in over 15 years. Since that day on the Platte River, my life has been filled with adventure and good friends. I have fly fished in basically every state from Kansas west, and currently live in Alaska, fishing for big rainbows, dollies and grayling every chance I get. I haven’t gotten to fish with a tenkara stick yet, but it my mind this art is the purest most intriguing form of fishing on the planet. The idea of hauling in a 30″ rainbow with a tenkara rod literaly gives me goose bumps. Regardless of whether I win a rod, I will be saving my money to get one and continue a healthy addiction.

Tenkara is not only my favorite: my 4yo son yesterday was the first time, and it doesn’t matter if, in the end, he broke everything: his joy for the first fish caught (and released, of course) will always be with me

Call me crazy, but my idea of heaven is spending the day in my float tube at my favorite little Northern California reservoir (sorry, it’s a secret….) catching the small but willing Bluegill among the tree stumps and lily pads. And if I’m lucky, throw in the occasional Smallmouth. I just got an Iwana rod, and cannot wait to try it out there. There’s also a beaver pond high in the Sierras (sorry…another secret) where the little brookies are waiting for me…..
bye….gotta go practice with it out on the lawn now!

When I picked up a refurbished Amago online a couple years ago, I had low expectations. With no prior fishing experience to speak of, I just considered it an addition to my backpacking kit. Then, I caught my first trout. My “backpacking” trips quickly became “overnight fishing trips” and I realized I was getting out twice as much, looking for any excuse to walk in the woods with my amago. Thanks for all the hard work Tenkara USA team!
Daniel
Bozeman, MT

I first heard of Tenkara from my father while rooting around in the garage with him and stumbling upon his old Tankara rod from Japan. The story goes like this:

My mother is Japanese and since my father speaks the language, we spent some time in Japan when I was young during my dad’s active service for the Air Force. While there, my parents met another Japanese American who had been in the service for some time. He befriended my dad and took him fly fishing in the mountains. While there, this gentleman introduced to Tenkara to my dad, who bought that rod that I found in the garage before were were stationed back in the states.

My Dad took me bait fishing as a youngster, but as I got older I gained a desire to learn how to fly fish. By then, my dad’s career in California’s corporate world kept him very busy and I never learned how to use that long Japanese rod in the garage.

Then came the no-time and monetary poverty of college. It was during these years, that I discovered that a company, Tenkara USA, had introduced this ancient method of Japanese fly fishing to America! I couldn’t believe it.

I now work to support my wife and one year old son while my wife is finishing grad school. With our current situation, we have not found enough in our budget to finally fulfill my dream of getting a Tenkara rod. I hope beyond hopes that this entry will mean that I can finally get one of your rods into my hands and realize my teenage ambition.

More than fishing, Tenkara – for me – is chance to stop. To reflect. To let go.

It’s a chance to simplify in an increasingly cluttered world.

It’s a chance to quiet the mind and open up to unnoticed possibilities of nature.

It was my first spring outing last weekend. I went out for anything that would bite with a fully loaded shoulder bag and spin rod. After about an hour of sweat, lugging the bag along the creek bank, and trying about a dozen different lures, and snags, and poor casts among the brush, I thought, “Why the heck did I bring all this drama when I have a Tenkara kit that fits in my pocket?”

Old habits die hard, I suppose.

On the way home, frustrated, I found the most beautiful and exotic feather. I think it was migratory.

Tenkara has completely changed my perspective and enjoyment of fishing.

I found Tenkara at the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show, and was immediately welcomed and encouraged by TUSA. Since I have learned to strive to be a better fisherman, a better person, and to encourage others.

The simple change of perspective of focusing on how you fish, instead of having the most & best gear, has made a great change. In Tenkara we share and educate each other, we learn and try different technique instead of blaming the gear/fly. It is also a simple fishing experience which is easy to start beginners on to learn the joys of fishing.

As we floated through a mild rapid on a beautiful sunny afternoon on the Green this past summer I finally got into my rhythm of directing my buddy in the front on where to cast next. Casting 25-30 feet with light tipit and big dries was yielding a slough of refusals. My girlfriend had never caught a fish and, being that she hadn’t rowed either (still working on finding the one that is interested in doing just the latter!) I decided to rig her with a nymph setup out of the back of the boat. We continued our trip on the upper section with little fan fare, taking in the scenery and the peaceful nature of a reel-less afternoon. Suddenly, my girlfriend exclaimed with horror that she was caught on the bottom. Having fished with a Tnekara in a drift boat before, I tried to recall whether I had put 5x or 6x on the tippet and contemplated what would happen the the 13 foot Tenkara as I frantically stroked hard against the current toward a nearby eddie. The rod, fully bent in a hemicycle reminiscent of an outline of the Theatres of Pompeii, looked to be on the precipice of its final moments before breaking in half. Just as I reached the eddie, and as I was instructing her to point the rod tip at the snag, I noticed the unmistakeable bobbing of the tip up and down in 3 to 4 inch amplitudes in rapid succession. Gazing towards the region where the snag appeared to be I saw a flash of color, further confirming my original suspicion — she had hooked her very first fish. After a short and elegantly simply battle without the need for explaining reel placement and stripping technique we boated a beautiful, healthy Rainbow, hooked cleanly in the fish’s Maxilla with a size 18 Hare’s Ear. After a quick photo and a very elated companion who bestowed a big fat kiss on the fish’s lips the beautiful Salmonid was released into the mighty Green to gorge on the entomological buffet for the rest of the day. It was a day we will never forget, and to catch it on a Tenkara made it all the more wonderful.

I have been reading everything I can about Tenkara for the last year. I have been fly fishing for years and I love everything about the simplicity of tenkara. I asked my wife for a Rod for Christmas and I guess she forgot. I am going to have to save my pennies for one!

My western rods have sat in the closet since I got my Iwana. I love how Tenkara has changed the way I fish. There is no going back for me- 3+ years, and Tenkara USA has quality stuff and great service too. Thanks Tenkara USA

Congrats on the 5 year mark. I have truly enjoyed learning and building additional aspects of my own fishing skills with a Tenkara rod. The things you learn with a fixed light line translate into all of your other fishing styles you may use.

I had decided to get back into fly tying (after dabbling in middle school) when I was engaged and needed something to give my best man as a gift, so I made him a full box of trout flies. While researching patterns, I became curious if other parts of the world had specific patterns for their region. That’s how I stumbled upon tenkara and the associated kebari. I knew I wanted to continue tying, and more importantly, start fly fishing. I was enamored at the simplicity, and the spirit of tenkara fishing, so I bought an Iwana while on honeymoon. I love it. I have never fly fished with a western style rod, and don’t know if I’ll ever invest in one. Thank you so much for being one of the biggest advocates for this style of fishing, and may you have many more birthdays to celebrate.

I discovered Tenkara thanks to Daniel who came last September in Italy to spread this technique unknown to us, I was fascinated and from that day, after catching a fly for about thirty years, I decided to devote myself exclusively to this type of fishing in simplicity and lightness of union with the natura.sorry not speak English is translated by google.

“To him, all good things—trout as well as eternal salvation—come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy.”
—Norman Maclean

When an artist creates work, it’s not about the paintbrush, the canvas, nor the pigment. Those tools step aside and make way for the art coming forth.

In the same way, good gear has always strived to make itself disappear to the angler that wields it. Reels are made with machined parts so the angler does not have to worry about the disc drag failing when a fish makes a powerful run. Rod blanks are made with lighter material so as to not strain one’s arms and shoulders after a long day on the river. Tippets made in narrower diameters so as to not distract between the fly and the fish.

For those of us in the sport who enjoy the art more than the gear (though the gear can certainly be a big part of the fun), Tenkara reintroduced many anglers back to that sense of purpose and artfulness in the way we fly fish. It’s not about the waders you wear. The line that you throw. Nor the rod that you wield—be it an Iwana or a 4-weight. It’s about you, the river, and why you’re there.

In that moment, nothing else matters. Your gear quietly steps aside, and you can be left with your art.

I first heard of Tenkara from a youtube video of a guy by the South Fork of the Flathead explaining it and how it worked with ultralight backpacking. Intrigued, I did a little searching and one of your earlier videos convinced me this was for me. I love being asked about it streamside by other flyfishers and giving and giving a quick explanation; always have gotten positive response.

As an Estes Park resident, I am very appreciative of the donations you made to support flood relief and victims. I’m still watching to see how our best Tenkara streams have fared. I’m sure I lost my favorite North Fork fishing hole, but that just means more to discover this summer.

I’m still very new to the world of tenkara. I got my first rod (the 11′ Iwana) for Christmas, and after taking it on a couple of trips now I am in love, both with the rod and the method. It’s highly sensitive, light as air, and a joy to cast, and playing even a modest fish is ridiculously fun. The method itself is perfect for the smaller streams that I fish in the Sourhern Appalachia, and I really can’t see myself going back to fly rods once I’ve built up my tenkara collection. Thank you so much for bringing this wonderful style to the States. You’ve made this teen very, very happy fisherman! Tight lines!

Love you guys. You have rekindled my love of fly fishing and awakened new interests for some of my friends as well. Just gave my best friend my Ayu II and I have turned him into a catch and release fisherman. Thank you Daniel and crew!

Awesome! I was looking for a simpler way to relax out on the trout streams and this is it. I cemented this fact by delving into Western gear for a few months and shortly sold it all and went back to TenkaraUSA!

Tenkara has simply put food on my table while I go through graduate school and helped me connect with my father and save my relationship with my girlfriend. It’s also helped me see the place I live for more than a few highways. Things just look better from the water.

Hooked on Tenkara, have 3 rods to cover the creeks I fish, the day after I bought my last rod the new 3 length rods were released. Bummed I missed it by a day and would love to carry one ‘do it all’ rod.

Congratulations on five years! I’m still learning about Tenkara, but I think it’s a great way to simplify the sport and also a great intro to the sport for new folks. Thanks for what you’ve done for the sport thus far, and continue to do.

With the blue ribbon Provo River in my backyard, I’m having a blast with my Ito. Get lots of questions about Tenkara and have sent several to your website to buy a rod. Yesterday, I had to explain to a guide that Tenkara is not for dapping!

Congrats on five years Tenkara USA! You have done a great deal to expand the experience of fishing with a fly that is is rich in cultural heritage. Even though i have less than a year with tenkara, i look forward to many more.

Daniel, I remember the happy accident of meeting you at San Francisco’s Planet Granite climbing gym in 2011. You generously invited me to a meetup on the Tuolumne and I have been hooked on Tenkara’s simple ease ever since. Tenkara has changed the way I introduce beginners to fly fishing, as there is no easier way to introduce friends to the joy of catching fish. Tenkara has changed the way I fish the high country, as there is no lighter setup to bring backpacking. Tenkara has changed how I fish as a photographer, when being able to quickly stow my rod and go hands free enables me to get the shot. Tenkara has changed a lot of things in the past five years, and I’m sure this is only the beginning! Congratulations on the first five and cheers to many more.

I am a relative newbie. I started to take my 9 and 11 yr old kids to a fly fishing club for kids this fall. One of the speakers gave a presentation on Tenkara and I thought what a great way to introduce them to the sport. Yesterday we all caught our first fish on tenkara. Looking forward to catching many more. Hoping to get more family members involved.

We learned about tenkara at our fly fishing club. My dad got me a tenkara rod and I even caught a fish with it. My dad has a Sato and I really like his rod. Hopefully I can win one. We have watched a lot of your videos on our computer to learn about tenkara. We like the one of the boy casting to the cat and the one with the funny guy dressed up as a ninja when he was learning tenkara. Thank you.
Siena

I have been teaching children to fish as part of my job for the majority of my carreer spanning two decades. I bought one of your rods three years ago and now have four rods that i use exclusively for this task. The simplicity of the design makes them perfect for sight fishing bluegill in shallow watter without the temptation of constantly cranking on a real. The sight of a child catching their first fish on one of these rods is still priceless after all these years.

Of course I also have one with me most of the time for my own personal enjoyment. The simplicity and weight of these things gives you no reason to leave home without it.

I bought an Ito several years ago and refell in love with fishing. The simplistic nature of fishing has taken me back to childhood. The only problem is that winter is long in the mountains of Colorado and my 6 month old may not understand hunting for beaver ponds in the rain, but he will.

Tenkara brought the brick wall of flyfishing complexity down! I’m two years in and now taking my 5 year old flyfishing on his home made Tenkara setup. (The top half of a two piece fly rod with Tenkara line fixed to the tip.) We are hooked. Happy birthday Tenkara USA

I love how Tenkara distills and focuses the experience. Removing the extraneous equipment removes the second guessing myself. Do I have the right fly? Should I have brought the 6 weight rather than the 4? No more questions, just focusing in on tthe moment and working what I’ve got. Accepting that I already have what I need, the only queston is using it right is very empowering. Tenkara is empowering.

After discovering Tenkara fishing last year I quickly sold all my western rods opting for the simplicity of Tenkara. Our world has become so hectic that it such a joy to be able to stop everything at a moments notice and do something that is so simply and enjoyable.

I go to Eagle Colorado twice a year fishing with son-in-law and grandkids. Trying to get my son-in-law to put these in his Adams Rib Ranch Country Club for the members to buy.
Private lakes and stream thru property that are loaded with trout. I just guess I will buy one if I don`t win.
Thanks for the opportunity.

Congrats on 5 years Daniel. I have been fishing tenkara now for 4 years, and it was the best accidental discovery I could have made. I was at a point where I was going to quit fly fishing and go back to spinning gear. I ordered a 12′ Iwana on a whim and have never looked back. Four years, 5 TUSA rods, great TUSA service and products, and a whole lot of cool memories! What I find ironic is that a lot of those cool memories happened on a river that I used to totally despise! Congrats and can’t wait to see 10 years. Dale

I began my journey into the world of Fly fishing with Tenkara. I always had an interest in Fly fishing but felt intimidated by the sport. I live in The Keweenaw peninsula of Michigan and the Trout streams are narrow and full of over hanging trees. Tenkara was the best solution for the terrain that I fish. I had a really good time and applying my new found skills last season and caught fish with every trip and will talk to anybody who will listen to me about it…I am hooked. I have a Yamame rod and have really enjoyed it…Thank you

I’ve caught more fish on 1 fly in 2 different sizes than I ever thought imaginable. My 2nd cast ever (tenakra rod) I caught a nice 14″ cutthroat. I then realized that there was definitely something to this “tenkara craze”. I Literally outfished my friends 15:1 most days. Now I wonder what I’m going to do with all my old wesern rods that never get used.

I’ve been fly fishing and tying flies for 40 years and following Tenkara since 2009. I am now reading Simple Fly Fishing by Yvon Chouinard. I guess it’s about time I tried Tenkara, since I’ve already developed the philosophy that the fly itself is not nearly as important as is what I do with it. (also the flies I tie are beginning to look like something Mr. Shotaro ties or what Tony Bishop (Bish) calls “Rufasgutz”)

I have been loving the simplicity of Tenkara since I got my first Ito for a gift. Weather backpacking or after work for a quicky in the local creek it is always “simply ready”. The Iwana with the different handles has been great for our area and I am looking forward to trying the two new rods for more versatility. Keep up the good work and may your lines always be tight.

I received my first tenkara rod on Tuesday and today is Saturday. In my first two trips to local creeks in SoCal I’ve caught natural rainbows both times. The Iwana has amazing action and makes manipulating the fly and presentation easy to get used too. I love tenkara now!

I bought my first rod a few years ago and have enjoyed fishing with it since day 1! I do a lot of backpacking and appreciate how small this can be packed up. Tenkara also got me interested in tying my own flies which I have only been doing for 6 months or so. Thanks for such a great product and customer support. Even if I don’t win the giveaway, I will definitely be purchasing another rod soon.

I got an Iwana 11′ a number of years ago and starting fishing the little streams of Virginia. One day I caught about 20 little brook trout in a row without changing locations. I fell in love with the simplicity. Pretty soon I was hiking and fishing just about every weekend I could. I have fished with it in ME, NH, TN, MD, PA, NC, SC, CA, and Guatemala. I have enthusiastically watched the growth of this company and have been very proud to be a part of it and introduce others to it. In economics we have a sort of law that all things being equal, the simplest model is the best. Tenkara fits right into that. I thank TUSA for the days of fulfillment on the river, at the lake, and in the low-country swamps where even spin casters can’t cast. I think the Sato will be my next rod. I will be going on a 77 mile back-country hike soon and also out to CO. Keep it up TUSA.

I’ve been to your website a million times. Subscribed to your YouTube channel, and been living through all of you while I try and save enough money to get a complete set up. I can’t believe you’re actually going to give some away. It’s like
an answer to my prayers. Count me in, but I’ll keep saving just in case. Thanks for bringing this kind off fishing to the U.S.
s

I really feel like Tenkara is the only way to teach young kids about flshing, not just fly-fishing! The stripped-down approach, basic gear, and simple technique make it a peaceful but rewarding experience! I am hoping to win a rod set so I can get my 5-your-old son started out right!

I’m 45 and have never caught a fish on the traditional rod and reel, a friend of mine introduced me to Tenkara and I caught my first fish ever! I am so excited with Tenkara and hope to buy my own soon! Thank you Daniel

Just bought my fifth .tenkara rod (ironic), a Rhodo, from Colby Trow at Virginia’s Fly Fishing and Wine Festival, Watnesboro, VA.. I think he’s sold out of the new rods now (as I also wanted a Sato). Tom Sadler played to a packed house as he demonstrated Tenkara on the water (three shows a day). Tom let me play with the new rod, which “sealed the deal”. Those new rods are a technology leap forward. To whomever wins, good luck! Can’t wait to head back into the mountains with my new .rhodo!

I have never fished Tenkara but am an avid fly fisher. I like the simplicity of Tenkara and would like to try it chasing brookies on the local streams. Congrats on 5 years of going strong and bringing a new way to pursue our passion on the water!

As a beginning youth fly fisherman everything is very complicated. It’s confusing when you have to learn about, and deal with a line, a leader, a rod, a reel, and flies. I’ve never used Tenkara but its simplicity seems to make everything easier, less complicated, and overall more fun. Also Tenkara rods are inexpensive compared to everything you would need for a traditional fly fishing rod. Tenkara overall just seems better suited to me and many other anglers. Thank you for making fly fishing simpler and accesible to so many anglers like myself. Happy 5 year anniversary and keep going strong!

The first time I saw one was when I was working at a inner city kids camp for youth from Washington dc and yvon choinard visited, he had one and showed us. They are awesome and have wanted one ever since, thanks for the opportunity!!

Tenkara looks beautiful. I’m a beginner fly fisherman (along with my 65 year old father), and recently bought my first setup, but if I’d heard about tenkara first, I know that I would have gone that direction. I love the simplicity of the philosophy, not to mention the gear. I just saw a demonstration today of your rods at the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival, by the guys from Mossy Creek, so seeing your post on Facebook seemed like Karma telling me to enter. I would love to win one of these Rods they are beautiful and would fit my outdoor lifestyle. Thanks for the giveaway!

Started fishing Tenkara 1 year ago with the Iwana. It was instant addiction. I now own five Tenkara rods, I keep one in each car so I always have one with me in case I drive past a river and have a few minutes to spare. The others are for when I take people with me so I don’t have to wait for them to get set up, fix tangles, and so I don’t have to worry about them scaring away all the fish! I will never go back.

Tenkara was the best possible thing I could have done to introduce my son to fly fishing. Both simple and efficient for a 13 year old to grasp and enjoy right away with that teenage attention span. Now he begs me to go every chance we get. We even plan to squeeze some fishing into our hockey travels here in Michigan and Canada.

Been fishing tenkara for over two years and love fishing with my 11′ Iwana and the Ayu. Tenkara has greatly improved my fishing abilities and I been having great success in the mountain streams here in VA. Thanks Tenkara USA for getting me hooked.

I’d grown up fishing with your basic spin caster, catching bass, bluegill, and other types of “sport” fish, but had never really been a trout fisherman. I found fly fishing to be expensive and somewhat elitist. Now, I’ve discovered the beauty and simplicity of Tenkara. I haven’t used a spincaster since I started, and I haven’t had the desire to catch anything but trout either. I love how in time you become with the rod, water, and the fish. Tenkara is fantastic, simple, and the best fishing experience I’ve ever had. Thank you!

Tenkara is simply amazing (pun intended)! At first, I’ll admit that I thought it was going to be a passing fad. It wasn’t until I started fishing in small streams that I wanted something better than 9ft fly rod. That’s when I tried tenkara. It was absolutely perfect! It’s almost as if it was designed for small streams…ha. I still fly fish in the western style now and then, but tenkara is the norm for me now. It has made me a better fisherman by requiring me to focus on presentation and truly reading the water. I catch so many more fish than I used to and get to enjoy the beauty of nature. Nothing better!

I learned about Tenkara through an article in F&S and have been fascinated about it ever since. I’ve always wanted to transition into flyfishing but after taking lessons at local outdoor store it seemed WAY to complicated…weight of rod, multitude of flies, technique, I could go on and on. Tenkara appears simple and straightforward. I think the simplicity is the beauty in tenkara and what makes it appealing. A Tenkara rod would allow me to fish with a rod, simple fly and that’s it and not worry about all the other things fly fishing makes so complicated. I’m an avid upland bird hunter and I think the reason why I never got into fishing a whole lot is all ghe STUFF that goes along with it. With hunting it’s me my gun and dog and that’s it. Tenkara would be that way for me and winning one would open up a whole new world and experience. Thx

I’m happy to say that I was one of the first customers of TenkraUSA and I have been pleased with the rods that I own from the start. I have introduced many to the sport with great satisfaction. Although I don’t adhere to the Tenkara philosophy of one fly or fishing upstream I enjoy fishing with all types of flies, drys, soft hackle and nymphs. I have been fly fishing for nearly forty years. When I started with Tenkra I was able to improve my tactics in many different situations.

After a couple broken fly rods and the endless amount of gear purchased, the minimalist approach to Tenkara really appeals to me. I would be thoroughly excited to experience the freedom that Tenkara seems to provide! Thank you for this great opportunity!

I picked up tenkara while looking for a light way to pack a fishing rig for the John Muir Trail and I am hooked. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever pick up a reel again…. or a heavyweight standard fly-fishing setup for that matter. Great magazine/journal by the way.

despite all the big trout and tailwaters around Colorado, I’ve always been more interested in the small trout and the small mountain streams where they live. Adding in the tenkara experience has been perfect for this kind of fishing. A few years ago, I was considering getting an expensive bamboo rod because I thought it would feel more back to nature and simplified for when I fish these small streams but now I get more of that feeling with a much less expensive tenkara rod. I have already shown my rod to 3 other fisherman who find it fascinating and get the biggest smile on their face when they first see how small it packs down to and then again when they see it ‘grow’!

Fished my Rhodo today. Awesome day of fishing!! Need to add the Sato to my collection. A huge “Thanks” to Daniel for introducing Tenkara here is the US and to Tenkara USA’s TJ and John for outstanding customer service!!! Rock Stars!

For the last several years I have followed and enjoyed my Tenkara experiences. from Florida panfish and Bass to N. Georgia trout. Hope to expand this year to western states or further to the northeast.

Tenkara fly fishing is liberating! I got an Iwana rod a few years ago and immediately sold my western fly rod and reel (and all of the attendant gear). Tenkara is beautifully simple. No way would I go back to the multi-piece rod, reel, miles of backing, line, leader and tippet, matching the hatch, matching leader to tippet to fly, etc. It seems to me that western fly fishing is about the gear while Tenkara is about being in and feeling a part of nature. I fish much more often and with greater enjoyment, not the least because I catch a lot more fish! Tenkara goes more easily where my husband and I go. As we make our way through underbrush beside Alaskan rivers and streams where there are no paths, we are both very grateful to you, Daniel, for the quick, easy telescoping design. Thank you for bringing Tenkara to the US.

I have just recently discovered tenkara and love the simplicity of it. I can’t wait to give the techniques a try on the streams and lakes here in Maine. Keeping my fingers crossed to be picked for the giveaway. Congrats on turning 5.

Thanks for bringing tenkara to the masses. I love the simplicity and light weight of my Iwana. Its always in my pack when i go hiking. I’m lucky enough to live in a beautiful part of the world (Western North Carolina) and your product has made it possible for me to easily enjoy fishing while hiking and camping. The low weight and simplicity of tenkara has multiplied my time fishing several fold, thank you.

Tenkara found me at a perfect time in my “fishing life.” I had just picked up fly fishing and to be honest, was struggling with rod and reel.

When my tenkara rod arrived, I took a good 3 or 4 months off from “western” fly fishing and just concentrated on fishing, most importantly presentation.

When I gave western a try again, everything just clicked.

While I don’t recommend tenkara as a gateway to rod WITH reel…it did help me dramatically…and I feel I’m more confident & effective with both (even though I choose my tenkara rod more times that not), thanks to the simplification that rod, line, and fly provide.

I was introduced to Tenkara at a Trout Unlimited banquet 5 years ago. I had to have one and ordered it immediately. Since the date of its arrival, I have caught the largest brown trout of my life, many panfish and countless other fish. The simplicity and joy of each catch never leaves anything to be desired. Thank you for bringing this style of fishing to the United States. I enjoy it greatly and will continue to do so for years to come!

Until just a few weeks ago, I’d never heard of tenkara. Since then, I’ve been reading as much as possible (mostly on this site’s blog postings and forums) in preparation for the coming fishing season. I’ve got a handful of flies tied up already, and have been adding a few more as time permits in the evening. What has really grabbed my attention is the community atmosphere surrounding this niche of fly fishing. I couldn’t stop reading the tales of the Vagabox, and signed up for an account on this website as soon as I read the most recent post. Once I get a little more established with tenkara, both as a fisherman and with contributions to the forums, I’d love a couple weeks with the fabled travelling flybox myself. All in good time, though.

Happy 5th Anniversary Tenkara USA! Daniel – thank you for all that you’ve done! Tenkara has added a whole new dimension to my life long fishing passion which I now try to share with as many others as I can.

The discovering of tenkara three years ago, thanks to TenkaraUSA, has been a life changer for me. It crosses over from fishing to living. I was the one always making my life more and more complicated in everything I did including fishing. Always adding more to the equation, thinking I must be missing something let me add this and that. When the best thing to do is get back to the basics, the bare minimum and you can live such a more fulfilling life and in doing that success will come naturally. The simplest way is the most effective and less stressful way in both. I’m just a country boy living in SWVA who loves the simple life of tenkara fishing these beautiful mountain streams. If TUSA made a tv commercial they would need to have Lynard Skynard’s “Simple Man” as the background music. Everytime I think of tenkara and the lifestyle that song comes to mind.

Tenkara USA is how I became a fly fisherman. The simplicity of rod, line, and fly is what caught my attention, and what I continue to appreciate and cherish. In the two years I’ve fished with a tenkara rod, I’ve caught bigger and bigger fish, culminating in a nice 18″ Brown a few weeks ago. Thanks for bringing tenkara into my life.

Well to say that only a few in today’s times can ever understand or appreciate that less is more is an understatement. while i do not get to fish as often as i would like, I have been so happy with the entire approach. I am sorry to see that there is a growning, and hopefully short lived, political disturbance occuring with the new book, but when it all shakes out, all we want is an opportunity to be with nature and fool some fish. Please continue your good and hard work!!

I fish mostly small mountain streams here in Utah and love using my Tenkara rod. (I need a new one!) I rarely use any other gear and am trying to learn to get by with the minimum amount needed to enjoy a simple day in the mountains and on the water. Very cool way to enjoy a day fishing!!!

This is great! I just caught my first trout on a Tenkara rod
this week and unfortunately it was a friend’s rod and I don’t own one of my own…yet! It was so easy and fun, can’t wait to learn more. Cheers! Jen

I’ve fished with a light 6′ spinning rod almost exclusively for the past 25 years.

Once, I was walking a small stream and thinking that maybe my old 10′ cane pole would be better able to reach the fish-holding pockets. Another time, I was getting strikes with a bubble and fly on a larger river and thought I would be able to hook more fish with a really long, light rod and keeping most of the line off the water.

It took a couple of times hearing about Tenkara before it clicked with me …

I’m leaving for Michigan’s Pere Marquette where I plan to convert three Western style sceptics to Tenkara. My worry is what might happen if a steelhead decides to take my fly. This time of year, we’ve occasionally had steel hit a dry fly if there is a serious hatch. I was disappointed in Tokyo last spring. Every Fly Shop told me they didn’t sell Tenkara rods because they could get so much more profit selling Western gear. Sad!

I’ve recently enjoyed my first fly fishing experience rafting down the middle fork of the Salmon river and loved it. I’m an avid backpacker and was concerned about adding to my backpack weight while caring flyfishing gear until I stumbled upon TENKARA. It’s the answer to my prayers. I’m ordering the 12′ IWANA on monday. I feel now that I can flyfish while hiking and not feel overburdened with gear. I love the simplicity of Tenkara and can’t wait to take my new rod on the next great hike.
Thanks Daniel,
Heidi
“Go girls for flyfishing”

Canadian tenkara Rules! it is so much fun going where most will never go because they have to hike in with too much gear. With a tenkara kit I can go anywhere! Last year hike to top of Mt Revelstoke and fished a lake where no ever goes. Great fun! Caught a few rainbows! I will be a tenkara fisherman for life!

What an amazing way to fish, tenkara. I learned how to fish over the last two years using your tenkara rods and I wouldn’t have been able to do it any other way. My favorite is backpacking with your rods and catching fish out of high lakes and creeks, cooked slowly over an open fire. Thank you for this!

What can I not say about Tenkara. I love it, my family thinks I am crazy because I talk about it to strangers on the street. I show little kids how to fish tenkara at my local pond. I did it today. There was a young kid spinning with a tackle box. He said his thumb was hurting from the reel. Then he asked me if I caught anything with my Sato. I was like yep, 15 fish. He was like really!? Then he asked me where were my tools, and gear. I showed him my lanyard with a nipper and pliers, my fly box and my rod. Again he said Really! I said yep. It is the only way to fish. I let him cast a few times and he could see the fish going after my kebari fly. I love it! And I am taking it with me on my business triip tomorrow to San Antonio because they have one of the top trout streams in the US. I probably have convinced over 30 people to fish tenkara. Keep doing what you are doing, you are the best.

As a native to the mountains of WNC I have been raised to appreciate and preserve these ancient mountains thanks to my family that taught me how to hunt and fish. My uncle got me into fly fishing, but ever since I started my new and by far my favorite hobby, my father has felt left out. He goes through my fly fishing magazines and he is always pointing to Tenkara rods as his favorite if he could afford one. Out of all of the big and expensive names in fly fishing he continues to be infatuated with Tenkara USA. Hopefully a Tenkara will find its way to the ancient WNC mountains where it will be babied and used frequently on native trout!

Always wanted to try fly fishing, but I was worried about needing so much gear. I read Daniels excellent post on Huckberry and I got “hooked”on the idea of one fly and a minimal setup. Last summer I caught about a dozen bluegills on my Tenkara rod. This year I’m focused on landing my first trout with Tenkara!

i celebrated my own tenkara anniversary this year at the pleasanton fly fishing show. i remember standing at near the casting pool talking to a potential customer and thinking, “wow, a year ago, i got my first rod, and now here i am spreading the tenkara love. man, this is rad!”

and it is rad. without a doubt, tenkara and tenkara usa have had an impact on my life. since the very moment i first saw a video of daniel on youtube, i was hooked. over the next few days, i chatted online with jason klass, chris stewart, tj, and daniel regarding a number of things related to what this form of angling was all about. as soon as i could, i had a used yamame in my hand at my creek-down-the-way. the first fish i caught was a bluegill – on a redworm. since then i’ve caught large and smallmouth bass, redear sunfish, hitch, and black crappie. almost ironically, i caught my first wild trout only a month ago. in addition to fishing, i’m tying flies and trying to organize outings. best of all, i’m meeting, working, and fishing with some really neat, likeminded folks. it’s great!

but enough about me, this is about five years of tusa. to this i say CONGRATULATION! i love what you are doing and what you’re about. here’s to today and many anniversaries to come.

Three years ago I read an article about Tenkara in a fly fishing magazine and was intrigued. There was a TenkaraUSA ad a few pages later and I went to the website. Soon after I ordered the first of many Tenkara rods. I fell in love with the concept, methods and simplicity, with not having line tangled around my feet, having my fly in the water more than the air, not mending, and perfect drifts. Most of all, I fell in love with catching more fish – lots more! I have since made many Tenkara converts. Tenkara is the only way I have fished the last three years. Thank you for bringing Tenkara to us from across the pond. Keep up the good work!

It has been an awakening experience. This coming from an avid fly fisher for over 25 years. I usually log close to a hundred days – but in the past those days were overly planned with minimal sleep the night before. Now, well, I get enough sleep cause I know my rods are neatly packed away – and my 6 fly boxes have joyously turned into a half dozen – lol.

I have taken more people out using Tenkara trying to fly fish for the first time than I ever have. To be an angling embassador – you need to recruit as many future conservationist you can – what better way than to show them simplicity without the sticker shock – the price intimidation isn’t there- and the era of memories become more often using this angling method.

Tenkara will always have a place in all my future fly fishing ventures and for those that I helped catch interest as well.

Many Blessings T-USA – and thanks for keeping strong in the introduction. – Ray

Daniel: Congratulations for the five years of the effort you’ve gone to introduce this simple way of fly fishing. Thourgh these years I have learn a lot thanks to your tips and videos. I’ve been fly fishing Tenkara for the last three years (with my inseparable Ayu). I was lucky to be in Oregon and fish not only trout but also steelheads and salmon.
Yeah, my Ayu responded better than the traditional Western style of fly fishing that I have used for the last 35 years. I’m really very happy with your products and enthusiasm to attract anglers to this beautiful art. Again, congratulations and keep your great spirit!

I grew up in Texas. And while my dad bounced us around the state, I seem to remember my time in Rockport, TX the most. I was about eight years old, and we fished Estes Flats almost every day for redfish and speckled trout. When my dad could not make it home to fish, I would walk out to our canal to fish. But instead of using my usual bait casting setup, my dad had modified an old rod for me. The rod had about 10 feet of monofilament tied to it. On the end of the monofilament was a single hook. I would cut up a small square of cheese and the slide the cheese over the hook. I would then cast the line into the canal. Eventually, a perch would eat the cheese, and give me the thrill of wrestling a small fish, absent reel, to the canals concrete sidewalks.
Flash forward about 30 years. I discover tenkara in the context of fly fishing. I immediately understood what it meant: back to the line and cheese technique (though with some conspicuous subtleties added). But my interest in the technique and fishing tenkara seemed to match a turning point in my life.
As kids, while we are swamped with items and corporate wrappings, often the small things entrance us. The boxes our toys come in are typically more alluring then the damn toy itself. As we get older, the goal of a job, money, and “things” becomes never ending. Eventually, though, we find ourselves older, with kids of our own, staring at piles of goods which mean nothing. They don’t add to experience. In fact, they slow our existence. The visceral becomes drowned in money making to cover the credit card debt associated with these things. And suddenly, other supposed fun experiences get subtlety harmed by this conduct.
Tenkara came at a time when I was realizing I didn’t need a $1600 bamboo rod to experience nature. That my love of fishing can still be fed, and in fact more so, by focusing on the technique and charms instead of eternal questions of, “maybe the rod could be better?” or “if only I had bought that one reel.” No. Tenkara allowed it to be about the moment. Tenkara made it more about the fun.
Now about those perch back in Texas; would a kebari fly have worked just as well?

For the past three years I have enjoyed the two rods that I purchased from Tenkara USA. Tenkara has changed my life as far as all things fishing. As I entered retirement and could no longer afford the expensive lines and reels I used in the past with the Western Style of Fly Fishing, I was looking to also retire from fishing which would hurt in so many ways. I am so grateful to this company for enabling me to continue to enjoy the world of Fly Fishing and the World of Tenkara. Thanks also to the entire staff for providing us all with such great service and experiences.

I just heard about Tenkara when a big outdoor company announced their new book and kits recently. I am an avid outdoorsman, but budget minded, and I am not so quick to spend the money they want on a whim. I saw your website a few days ago and watched some great videos before being side-tracked. I circled back today after seeing the Tenkara USA 11′ Iwana listed on a backpackinglight website.

I’ve been intrigued by fly fishing, but was also intimidated by the gear and seeming high-skill-bar to entry. The Japanese sensibility for simplicity and nature resonates with me, and Tenkara seems to embody that perfectly. From what little I know about Tenkara, I would be bringing an American adaptability to the practice, fishing lakes and even saltwater more often than a mountain stream (since I live in Coastal San Diego county – in a drought!) Even so, a backpacking trip to the Sierras would be awesome, and summer is coming. There won’t be much snow melt, but the passes will be open early. Fishing a new Tenkara USA rod on a mountain stream sounds really great. You won’t find a more eager or thankful recipient if you pick me.

Happy Birthday! Thank you for daring to be different and holding true to your dream to bring Tenkara to the USA. Your determination to rise above the scoffers is a great life lesson for us all. Thanks!

My first fish on a fly came on my second cast with a Tenkara rod. Since then I’ve learned to tie my own flies and become absorbed in the history of fly fishing. Turns out Tenkara style fishing has been the preferred method of fishing with a fly for blue collar market fishermen around the world for centuries. As Tom McGuane wrote, “discovery is the constant joy of the ahistorical”.

Tenkara is SPectacular! I had a 11ft Iwana sent to Germany while deployed with the military. That was two years ago and at that time I was already completely addicted to western fly fishing, planning my entire life around fishing, had 6 or 7 rods, tying everything myself and fishing every where I went. You all know what I am talking in about once you get hooked you get obsessed!
I originally bought an Iwana so I could more easily bring friends with and they could have fun too. What good is an experience if yo cant share it with you friends! Western fly fishing takes a lot of time and obsessive behavior to get good at. In fact if your an adult have a career and family you are not likely to ever have time to get good at western fly fishing. Friends who came with me that I would teach about western fishing rarely stuck with it due to its extremely high learning curve and monitory investment. One friend had been dreaming about going fly fishing for years, at the end of the days she said it was so much harder then she thought it was and she wasn’t going to do it again. Very sad:(
Tenkara has solved this now I could bring friends fishing. Together we could experience most beautiful places on earth and enjoy the thrill off catch too. It so simple and takes so much of the frustration out of fly fishing its almost a different sport all together. No more bulging fanny pack, 7 different sizes of tippet, split shot and indicators. No more fly line hooked on boot laces or wrapped around legs. Flys are more likely to be retired because they have been chewed to pieces then lost in brush and trees and the best part is no more swearing under your breath or out loud as you snag the same tree for the third time!
Tenkara is simple, tenkara is peace, tenkara is exciting! Tenkara is for everyone! Get a rod you won’t be sorry! Thanks Tenkara USA now my wife will even fish! Sometimes:)

I’ve been flyfishing for 40 years. When I heard about Tenkara, I knew right away that the simplicity concept was for me. I knew it would be fun, but underestimated just how much fun it would be! I love my Iwana 12′ and love to small stream fish. I’m also getting my buddies hooked on Tenkara too. Thank you Daniel and crew for great products, great website and all the information you freely share. Here’s to the next 5, 10 and more! My wish list includes an Amago for some of the larger fish I hope to caught along the front range and across the west.

The train car was filled with new kinds of toys for boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. But there was no locomotive that would pull the car over the mountain of established western fly fishing tradition.

Shiny New Engine refused reasoning that pulling such simple things was beneath his dignity. Big Strong Engine said he only pulls fancy costly complicated fishing machines. And declared, “I can not read or understand the language describing the traditions of your new toys. Indeed, I am a very important engine and I will not carry the likes of you. ” Rusty Old Engine also declined saying he was too old and tired to pull the car filled with a new kind of toy.

Daniel hearing the call of the new toys, built a new locomotive engine. Named it TUSA Engine, and sent him out of the shop five years ago.

TUSA Engine left the shop and to the cheers of the new toys in the car said, ” I am not very big but I will pull you over the mountain. “Puff, puff, chug, chug. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can – I think I can…. ” Up, Up, Up and over the summit of the mountain and in to the valley on the other side they went. Looking at the smiles of the all the boys and girls enjoying the new toys and looking back at all the other cars filled with similar toys that had hitched themselves on to the train. Little locomotive TUSA Engine also smiled and said, ” I thought I could, I thought I could. I thought I could – I thought I could …”

When I was in my 20s (I’m 64 now), my dad and I stopped to fish Kettle Creek in Pennsylvania. We were spincasting, and not having any luck. There was a hatch of mayflies coming off of the water, and the trout were rising to them. My dad suggested that I try flyfishing. I had never attempted flyfishing before, and I resisted his suggestion. He kept insisting, so to appease him, I decided to give it a try. He gave me an old bass rod that a friend had thrown away when he had broken the tip off. My dad had recovered the rod, and glued and guide back on. I tied a piece of 8 pound test monofilament on as a leader. My dad gave me a card of 24 cheap, Chinese flies that he sold in his store for a dollar. I picked the one that most closely matched the hatch. I made my first cast, just to make my dad happy, thinking that this is was never going to work. A trout hit the fly, and I missed it. But I was hooked! I caught three nice trout within the next hour. My flyfishing was never the same to me after that day. I got into all the gear, tie my own tapered leaders very fine Tippets, and learned how to cast very well. In fact, my line spent more time in the air then get in the water. And my tippets were so fine, that I was frequently breaking them. I never did as well as I did that first day of flyfishing. Tenkara is my way of retuning to the simplicity and joy I felt on that first day that I caught a fish on a fly. Best wishes! Mike

Tenkara fly fishing is a new concept to me this year. Fishing my entire life, I am excited to get out in CO and see how the simplicity of the Tenkara rod really works. Congrats on the 5 year anniversary. Keep it going. Your product will stand out from the others.

When looking for a lightweight rod for backpacking I heard about Tenkara and without ever touching a rod or even fly fishing, I took the leap and bought an Iwana.

I started out with the intention of doing some fishing while backpacking. Now I backpack to places in order to fish. My primary goal for spending time outdoors has completely changed. I think for the better.

The winter has been long here and fishing is about to start, cant wait to use all the flies tied over the winter! i’m sure I’ll love tenkara, its so simple and pure, best way to connect with nature. M two sons are so impatient to go, I’m sure we’ll have a wonderful time. congratulations on your 5 years!

I purchased my Iwana 3 years ago, and haven’t looked back. My idea was to to fish for trout in the streams and rivers of North Georgia, and it’s been great for that. What I wasn’t expecting was how much fun I would have catching bream in the lakes around here. Trout season started last week (yay!), but I’m really looking forward to heading to the lake as the water warms up.

Over the last 5 years I’ve gone from occasional to almost exclusive use of my tenkara rod. Thanks for bringing this wonderful sport into my life. I’m now helping my two young daughters to fish tenkara.

I love the fact I always have a tenkara rod in my car when timing and coming across ‘fishy’ water intersect I’m able to get a line I am able to get a line in the water. I have caught more species than I am able to count.

In the 80′s I was exposed to tenkara while working in the mountains of Japan. That was an amazing experience that I never forgot. When I decided to get back into fly fishing, I decided that it would be tenkara. I really like the simplicity of the technique and the equipment. And I like the difference in what I’m focused on when I’m fishing tenkara, as compared to western fly fishing. Thank you TUSA for making equipment available in the US, enabling me to combine two of my favorite things on earth – tenkara fishing and the wilds of the western states.

Love the simplisity and it has helped me to do things in my regular fly fishing that I had not been doing and catching more fish. I’m not fsihng mountain streams but I hope to. I’m fishing spring creeks in WI.

I’ve been fishing tenkara for a few years now. It’s a good way to get your kids into the sport. My kid caught her first trout last year in the black hills when she was just 4 years old. Thanks for the enjoyment!

I remember watching this thing called Tenkara develope for 3 years before I jumped in. I was extremely skeptical. I came from the south where I learned on spinning rigs and bait casting rigs. Then I changed to western fly for a while after enjoying my first outing on it. Then I stayed at fly fishing for a long time. So my skepticism to Tenkara was that it was too simple, not enough even. For 3 years I watched it, criticized it, judged people about it, watched it with interest, and low and behold I’ve been doing it now for a year and a half. I suppose it marinated for 3 years one could say!

Now I’ve been bitten by the bug! Ever since key people introduced me when I just inquired about it the whole community of Tenkara has been all in helping introduce the ways of Tenkara to someone else. I believe the simplicity and community of Tenkara are it’s most valuable attributes here in the US. So here’s to 5 more years and many more to Tenkara and to TUSA!

I went on a guided western style fly fishing trip and was hooked but never able to repeat the experience on my own. I was introduced to Tenkara and was quickly back in the groove. Though it is quick to pick up, I see it will take a lifetime to master. Thanks for putting the thrill of fly fishing back in my grasp without needing a guiding company!

For me the beauty of Tenkara in today’s society and especially in New York City, where I live is that it reconnects us with simplicity. Life is complicated enough, but all of those complications disappear when you’re on the water using one fly on a tenkara rod.

What I love most:
1. Ease of setup. It makes it possible to fish during my lunch hour.
2. Less stuff to worry about bring.
3. Ability to reach across currents. I can fish where I couldn’t before.
4. Ease of casting.

In the two years I’ve been fishing Tenkara, I’ve come to love every minute I spend on the water. I’ve spent countless hours with wonderful old friends, amazing new friends, and family members I haven’t spent time outside with in years. I’ve connected with my home town in an entirely new (to me) way. Tenkara has been a huge party of my life for the last two years and will continue to be for many more. It’s amazing that such a simple tool and method for using it have had a huge and lasting impact on my life. Congrats on five years and thanks for letting me come along for the ride.

All winter I’ve been stealing the occasional afternoon to learn my Ebisu on Boulder Creek, by the library (some very dirty looks from the other fishermen), and on S. Boulder Creek (hiking in past the “trail closed” yellow tape). My excitement about Tenkara is fishing all those wonderful little streams above 9500 feet west of Boulder. Can’t wait to catch my first brookie on a home-tied killer kebasa!

WHAT GREAT FUN! I read everything I could find before deciding on an ITO. Great choice, very versitile, and customer service… the best. 40 years with western gear but did I need lots of help with tenkara ( I claim no expertise )! I got it here from Daniel and his people, no problems, just help. Now I just really want to go out fishing, so much more, anywhere I can. With Tenkara MY THOUGHTS ARE ON THE FISHING, NOT THE GEAR! That is the simplicity I wanted. Thank You to all and Happy Spring. Jim Hill.

Catching a double digit bass on a swimbait, a high end rod and a baitcasting reel is the experience of a lifetime. Some bass fishermen wait years before having that grand fight with their dream fish. Tenkara fishermen know a truth that most fishermen never realize. It is your connection with nature, understanding of the prey well enough for a successful hunt, and the skills to handle your equipment for a fair and honorable battle that makes for a great experience…not the size of a fish. Once you realize this, you can have memorable battles with fish that are only six inches long or even smaller. It can happen on every trip, even to the local park pond or to tiny hidden streams. With equipment as simple as a pole, line, and a single fly, you can have the experience of a lifetime.

Congrats TUSA for five years and many more.With 20+ years of fly fishing under my belt .Tenkara reminds me of how basic fly fishing can be done. Rod,line, fly that’s it. I too have become victm of the fly fishing marketing hype with $800 rods $500 machined reels, $100 fly line and countless money spent on flies. Tenkara has made me rethink the way I fly fish and with that more fish on my line.Tenkara might not always fill the gap as your not going to cast 8 inch heavy streamers but its not suppose to. For the majority of mountain streams Tenkara will yeach you how to simplify your experience and really connect you with the mountain, stream and fish.

Next month will make it 2 years if Tenkara for me and I live it. TUSA has made fly fishing a lot more practical and enjoyable. It’s brought my family closer together by enjoying numerous camping and fishing trips. My wife and 3 kids now all have their own Tenkara rods, catch and release they’re own fish, and beg to camp all year long. The simplicity of the style, equipment, and philosophy have made inroads into our lives outside if fishing and allow us to have more quality family time, great road trips, and m memories for a lifetime.

Fly fishing always looked about as enjoyable as golf with all the gear that needed to be hauled around. Then I saw Daniel deliver a Tenkara presentation, and all my preconceived ideas went out the window. I picked up an Iwana and haven’t looked back.

I tried one of these rods for the fist time over the weekend. I was impressed with the response and ability to play the fish just as good as a traditional rod. Definitely looking to add to my collection. Would love to win one too.

Daniel,
I have noticed that I enjoy my section hikes alot (40miles and longer) more on the Appalachian Trail. When I see a stream, I can grab my Rod and start fishing. No Muss/No Fuss, just pure fishing. It has completely changed my outlook on fishing and I look to do more in the future. I could really use another… I want to introduce it to my brother…I think he would love it as much or more than I do.

I am 70 years old, and I have had all kinds of trouble learning all the intricacies of traditional fly fishing until I was introduced to Tenkara by Daniel and Tenkara USA. I now have an 11′ Iwana and a 13′ Ayu.
What impresses me most is the simplicity and effectiveness of this natural way of fishing. The direct connection between my rod and the wild trout on the end of my line just can’t be duplicated with any other way of fishing. Thanks to Tenkara, I don’t have to worry if I have the right rod, reel, line, and hatch-match fly. I can just relax and enjoy fishing the way it was meant to be: plain and simple.

Went fishing with my daughter today… Carried our picnic lunch, water, net, flies, and a blanket to sit on, occasional her. Carrying our rods was never an issue. Add in the times I get a chuckle when someone remarks how long my rod is, and you just can’t beat tenkara for fun.

Fishing with a tenkara rod has rekindled my interest in fly fishing. I can’t get over how simple and effective this method of fishing is. From the very start I have caught more fish, bigger fish, and had more fun than I ever had using traditional western fly fishing gear.

I do not have a Tenkara rod. I have recently gotten married. And I have been fly fishing for about 9 months. And I am wanting a tenkara rod not only for me to learn. But my wife seems really interested in it as well. Which is more than I can say for her interest in fly fishing. I would love to get her into some type of fishing. I am so glad I learned about your company. It is amazing to see such a good display of culture coming to America.

I haven’t had the chance to do Tenkara fishing yet, but I have been learning more about it and am wanting to get into it. Winning this rod would put me well on my way to obtaining the necessary materials to start me on my journey down the beautiful road of Tenkara.

I’m a Boulder, CO local and found tenkara at McGuckins. The associates there were so passionate about it, that they convinced me to research it and eventually try it out. It has been a blast. Keep up the good work and best wishes on your next 5 years!
GJA

I bought my first Tenkara rod after looking at a way to fish while hiking. It was a 12′ Iwana, and I went all out with a small Umpqua fly box, mini pliers, a set of level line, furled line, strike indicators, EZ-Keeper line holders, etc..

The first time I used it was on our first fly fishing trip. It was to the Little Red in Arkansas, and I don’t think I’ve ever caught as many fish. A few weeks later we went on a month long trip from Houston to Yellowstone, stopping at every fly fishing hot spot along the way.

About halfway through the trip I set my rod on the bed of the truck while I took my waders off, and I completely forgot about it.. So some lucky dog in Basalt, Colorado is probably fishing away with it right now. My Dad and I finished the rest of the trip with regular rods, but it just wasn’t the same.

All along the way people kept asking about it, and claimed I wouldn’t catch any fish with a cane pole. I out fished just about every one of them.

As a backpacker tenkara made instance sense to me. Small, light weight and simple. But, what tenkara has really become is my “take every where” rod. My 11′ iwana is always in my truck. Always. I am always looking for a piece of water to fishing. It is rare a piece of water can’t be fished with tenkara. It has made doing what i love so much easier and something i do so much more often. It has made fly fishing a real solid part of my life. Thanks

After mediating once a week for a year my life was changed… Less hectic and more contemplative. Living in the moment makes everything real. I got into fly fishing because it made me show down. I had to focus on the mechanics of getting everything ready to cast. It wasnot about catching fish. It was about purposeful focus to calm the mind. Now with tenkara, it’s even more simple…I just cast. And every one of them is effortless. What a way to live!!!

I first came across Tenkara on the Tenkara USA website in November 2010. Watching the video clips had a profound effect on me. Fly presentation had always been the most important part of my approach to flyfishing & I immediately saw that Tenkara was miles ahead of Western Flyfishing in this department. I bought an Iwana & after my first day with it I was so impressed that I immediately ordered an Amago. I’ve never looked back: Tenkara has taken over my life. Furthermore, virtually every other angler I’ve introduced to Tenkara has been smitten.

I have been using tenkara rods for 2 years. My personal experience is that it works really well for fishing small streams. But I do need to carry my regular rod if I want to cover more waters, especially for pond and lake fishing …

This marks year two for me. Didn’t know what to expect of Tenkara outside what I read on versatility and presentation. Happy to say that for something as simple as it is, it has had a profound effect on my outings. The local holes and creeks became a whole new experience. Without the clutter, cutting and tying, more often than not I just sit back, watch my 6 year old daughter land another, smile, and wait my turn.

I just recently discovered Tenkara USA while online researching the best places to fish in Yellowstone with my little boy this summer. I have attempted fly fishing in the past, but have struggled with it and had decided to simply carry my spinning gear, but now think I will give Tenkara a try. I have been glued to the Tenkara USA web-site since I found it and love, love, love the simplicity and cultural aspects of the sport. I plan on buying my first rod soon and can’t wait to get out there and catch some fish. I live in ATL, so Southern Appalachia and the Chattahoochee will be my first places to try.

Tenkara is the simpliest way for fishing. I remember when I was a child, my dady teach me how to fish with only a long rod, a simple line and a hook with a worm. He teach me how to read the water, where the trouts are, how to approach without be seen.
Today I use this knowledge, trying to teach it to other people. I will teach it to my son but now it will be with Tenkara philosophy.
My new Sato will be the perfect tool to show him how to catch trouts.

I have been looking for a new way to fish spring streams and have been looking into Tenkara. Very intriguing system but not available in Western Wyoming for comparison. Congratulations on the 5 year mark.

took my Tenkara from TN to WY. Fished the wind river range the first time i through a line. Holy cow! ended up with a little under 50 fish for 8 days. one happy customer here. The iwana 12ft is all i needed to slay them golden trout. Cant wait to go back.

From the moment I caught my first fish on a Tenkara three years ago until now Tenkara fishing has changed the way I see fishing and the river. I almost never use my “regular” fly rod for Trout fishing anymore, its my favorite way to fish by far.

I tried Tenkara for the first time over Spring Break here in Oregon on the Metolius. Lake Creek Lodge has a little trout pond to practice on, and the high, fast water at the river had thwarted my earlier efforts. After lunch and a hot shower, a quick stroll with a net, tenkara rod, and fly box saw me land two pleasant redbands on a sunk griffith’s gnat. I was stunned by the simplicity. I could even fish with my off hand in my coat pocket to keep warm, and it was easy enough to switch hands. I really want to try a nicer level line next…